1. Introduction
During the 1920s and 1930s, USA was suffering from a terrible economic downturn-the Great Depression. It was also a boom period of literature creation and many well-known writers emerged in that special historical time. Because of the difficult situations, American writers turned their focus to social problems and issues. They were motivated to arouse sympathy for the suffering of common people, especially those at the very bottom of the society. (Wang, 2012) John Steinbeck (1902-1968), born in Salinas, California, is one of the most significant and representative American writers in that era. He is the winner of the Noble Prize for Literature in 1962.
John Steinbeck’s living experience in California had a great influence on his writing. He grew up in one of the richest agricultural place. Steinbeck’s lifelong interest in the beauty of nature started with his childhood experience with animals and plants which were abundant in Salinas. (Long, 2009) He worked in the fields and ranches with farm labors during his school holiday. Therefore, he is very familiar with the lives of farmers. This kind of working experience helped him to reflect the real phenomena of people’s lives as accurate as possible.
Millions of workers have been laid off and struggled in poverty on account of the great depression. Refugees and migrant workers traveled around the state, longing for job. Under that historical background, John Steinbeck wrote this novel in 1937. Of Mice and Men is the second novel of his labor trilogy. It is mainly talk about two migrant workers George and Lennie’s working experience in a ranch. They hope to earn a piece of small land and live together happily in that hard time. It is also called the “American Dream”...
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Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath, The Moon is Down, Cannery Row, East of Eden, Of Mice and Men. New York: Heinemann/Octopus, 1979. pp.475 - 896.
Levant, Howard. The Novels of John Steinbeck: a Critical Study. Columbia: U of Missouri Press, 1974.
Steinbeck’s word choice has a very significant impact on the effectiveness of his writing. By using words and phrases like “junk man,” “dead terror,” and the repetition of the words “bitterness” and “dead,” he drives his point home in a very matter-of-fact sort of way.
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath, The Moon is Down, Cannery Row, East of Eden, Of Mice and Men. New York: Heinemann/Octopus, 1979. pp.475 - 896.
John Steinbeck is a brilliant storyteller capable of crafting such vibrant and captivating literary works that one can effortlessly exit their own life and enter another. John Steinbeck has a passion for divulging the flaws of human nature and he is not afraid to write about the raw and tragic misfortune that plagued the lives of people like the Okies in the Grapes of Wrath and residents of Cannery Row. He was also a brilliant commentator who contributed brilliant opinions on the political and social systems in our world. In heart wrenching words he tells us the story of peoples lives, which were full of love, corruption, faith and growth. However in the novels of Cannery Row and The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck specifically attempts to convey the thematic elements of socialism, survival and the role of women to blatantly present the lifestyle of down trodden migrant workers and the diverse ecosystem of prostitutes, marine biologists, store owners and drunks in a way that is unapologetic and mentally stimulating.
Hayashi, Tetsumaro. A New Study Guide to Steinbeck's Major Works, with Critical Explications. Scarecrow Press, Jan 1, 1993
Steinbeck, John E. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin Group, 1993. 72. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
While growing up in Salinas, Steinbeck had the opportunity to spend a lot of time outdoors. His uncle used to take him on fishing trips, and combined with the times he visited his maternal grand-fathers' farm near King City, it undoubtedly gave him an appreciation for nature. Later in his life, he became a caretaker on a "large estate at Lake Tahoe," and he continued to spend time in nature throughout his life and often took his sons to go fishing or camping when they visited him during the summers (Steinbeck, E. & Wallsten, P.., 1975).
His works were focused on several different themes; such as the nature of dreams, the nature of loneliness, man 's propensity for cruelty, powerlessness and economic injustices, and the uncertainty of the future. John Steinbeck’s work is characterized by symbolism and allegory, which can be seen in several of his novels. He was an excellent character based author of the twentieth century and his use of literary devices and techniques make him relevant in modern literature. He made an important impact on society and American literature overall, as well as being the recipient of a Nobel Prize. Through analysis of his literature, many can begin to see the true beauty of each of his distinct works. This versatile writer’s compositions comprise twenty-seven works, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books, and five collections of short stories. Several of Steinbeck’s works ended up being huge hits in the literary community, including the comic novels Tortilla Flat and Cannery Row, the multi-generation epic East of Eden, and the novellas Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. John Steinbeck gives a sense of perspective to the world he was living in at the
In the years after the Great War, America rose to become a global power, symbolic of wealth and everything that came with it. Frivolous spending was a common thing to expect in the years between World War 1 and the Great Depression. Luxury was no longer a commodity solely for the upper-class during the roaring 1920's. All throughout, the United States was booming. The return of the veterans from Europe was of course celebrated by all, but there was a certain coterie that were troubled in discovering tranquility in a country that was still commemorating it's upset over the Central Powers. The very men that had fought for their country to propel it to a state of economic prowess were slowly becoming alienated by the society of post war America. A term coined by Gertrude Stein, friend and mentor of Ernest Hemingway, the “Lost Generation” found that their lives in the states would be altered perilously by Allied victory in Europe. The epoch of this conglomerate of young men was brought to life through the style of its writers. The Lost Generation is an allocation of young men, generally American writers, who built themselves during the 1920's based on a sense of aimlessness and loss of moral compass, showed how their learned values no longer applied in post war society through their written works and was made commonplace in the vocabulary of today through the writing of Ernest Hemingway.
Steinbeck got the inspiration to write this book in the summer of 1922 through his experience at Spreckels Sugar Company Ranch. He worked there with Filipino and Mexican labor. The landscape of the book was familiar to where he worked. He worked in an oasis type river and renamed the location to a place called Soledad which meant solitude (Hays)...
John Steinbeck is the author that published the book Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck paints a portrait of hard times in the 1930s. He sets a morose tone throughout most of the book. He reveals unacceptable, powerful, and resilient times in America. He describes a world where the American Dream is a land where life should be better, richer, and fuller for everyone. He also includes complex characters on the ranch as villains and victims in the novel. For instance, Curley’s wife is portrayed as a villain because she kept taunting Lennie, she threatened Crooks, and she flirted with men on the ranch while she was married.
Novels that exhibit what the life is like for the people at ranch can help readers reflect on how they might react in comparable situation. George and Lennie who struggle to transcend the plight of inerrant farmworkers are followed by the novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck. Readers are positioned to respond to themes through Steinbeck’s use of conventions that are dispirit. Themes such as Freedom and confinement, loneliness, and racism are pivotal in the novel and draw out a range of responses from the readers.
Most writers of the first half of the century focused on the characterizations of men and their motivations (Hughes 154). However, Steinbeck differed in this approach; he continuously wrote works that shined a heroic light on women. The relationships he ...
Throughout America’s 239 years of history, American literature has been changed throughout its time as period of new culture and movements are introduced in the United States. Out of all the different time periods America has been through, the most important and impactful one is the Great Depression. The Great Depression created new lifestyles and culture for the American people, which helped emerging authors, such as John Steinbeck and Harper Lee, express their views and beliefs between the wars that eventually shaped majority of American literature.